The Vietnamese value system is based on four basic tenets:
allegiance to the family, yearning for a good name, love of learning, and
respect for other people. Traditional values of Vietnamese lifestyle were deeply
affected by Confucian ethics. During thousand years the Chinese invaded and
maintained control Vietnam, Vietnamese
culture was permeated by their Confucian philosophical beliefs. This philosophy
based for the existence of and extended family structure through 2,000 years of
Vietnamese history. Vietnamese life is profoundly influenced by ancestor
worship. Children learn at a very early age that they owe everything to their
parents and their ancestors. Doing well in school and working hard honors one's
parents and the family name. Respect for parents and ancestors is extended to
all elders, whose life experiences are valued. The basic component of rural
society was the nuclear family, composed of parents and unwed children.

Unfortunately,
when the word Vietnam comes up, the first though in most people's mind
is the Vietnam War, and lately, Vietnamese food. With more than four
thousands years of history, Vietnam has more to offer than the war and
food. As a foreign born, I am proud to be an American and I also take
pride on my Vietnamese heritage. I am building this Web Site to share
with you the snapshots of Vietnam, its land, its culture, and its
people.

The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed
by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam
declared independence after World War II, but France continued to
rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH.
Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the
Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military
aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to
bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn
following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North
Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under
Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the
country experienced little economic growth because of conservative
leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of
individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants -
and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment
of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986,
Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic
liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize
the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven
industries. The country continues to experience small-scale
protests from various groups, the vast majority connected to
land-use issues and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving
disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of
the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta
region, have also held protests.